Cowardly Lion
The Cowardly Lion (1900) Cowardly Lion (1939) Cowardly Lion (1939) The Wiz (1978) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) The Wizard of Oz (1939) Dorothy Gale defending the Cowardly Lion (1939) The cowardly Lion is a fictional character created by L. Frank Baum, author and inventor of the Oz legacy. He is introduced in Baum's first Oz book titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900. He is a main character who appears in the sixth chapter of the book titled The Cowardly Lion. 'A Lion Without Courage' He is a huge friendly beast who can talk and is from the enchanted jungles and rainforests in the magical Land of Oz. He also is the third and final character to join the story's child protagonist and book's main heroine named Dorothy Gale of Kansas, while she embarks on her epic journey throughout Oz. When Cowardly Lion encounters Dorothy, she is also accompanied by a brainless Scarecrow, a heartless Tin Woodman and her little pet dog named Toto, all of whom became loyal comrades and good friends forever more. *Later on in the Oz series which serve as offical sequel books to Baum's original story, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger would become best of friends, just like the Tin Woodman and Scarecrow would. Who even after Dorothy's departure back to Kansas, remained very close comrades. The two beast would be inseparable, much like Dorothy would be inseparable with her best friend other than Toto, the lovely Princess Ozma of Oz when she eventually returned to that magical land. Baums' Description The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) Baum describes the Cowardly Lion as being grandiose, handsome and nearly as big as a horse in size. He is a rather cuddly animal despite being so large, and also is a gentle giant at heart. He is said to have golden colored eyes that sparkle like fools gold and are full of wit and intelligence. He is warm, plush and soft, having a fluffy, bushy and curly mane and often is adorned with a brightly colored bow on the top of his head and at the very end of his long tail, usually of green or red silk. *The Cowardly Lion can sing songs, in a "deep bass voice." (Glinda of Oz) The Cowardly Lion is loved by all in the land of Oz, his best animal friend is another talking beast named The Hungry Tiger. When the two are not in the jungles or forests of Oz, dominating the Animal Kingdom, both the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger can be found sitting on soft cushions beside Princess Ozma. They accompany the child Queen as she sits upon her Royal Throne in her home which is the Royal Palace of Oz, that stands in the very center of the Emerald City of Oz. Since all lions in general are stereotypically known to be fierce, ferocious and expected to be "The Kings of all Beasts," by nature, the Cowardly Lion believes that his insecurities make him inadequate to other lions and beast. He simply does not understand that courage means acting in the face of fear and facing ones fears head on, which he does frequently throughout the Oz stories. Only during the after effects of the Wizard's gift, when he is under the influence of an unknown green liquid substance that the Wizard orders him to drink out of a small bowl, (perhaps gin) is he not filled with fear anymore. (In the iconic 1939 film by MGM he is given a gold metal that reads COURAGE across it.) The gift given by the Wizard is a subconsciously physiological thought in the Cowardly Lions' mind as it is clear throughout his journey that he always had courage within himself that he was just unaware of, saving Dorothy and his friends from many near death experiences in Oz. Such as the flesh eating wild beast called Kalidahs, whom the group of travelers encountered while on they're way to the Emerald City. The Cowardly Lion strongly argues that the courage from the Wizard is only temporary, although he continues to do brave deeds while openly and embarrassedly fearful from time to time. Oz History: How The Lion Found Courage! Cowardly Lion (1939) The Cowardly Lion was born in the wilderness in the land of Oz. He was also born without any courage, (Or so he thinks). Being described as being nearly as large as a horse in size, the other animals expected Cowardly Lion to be a King and to be brave and even merciless towards the smaller animals in Oz, so he bluffed and became a bit of a bully. This went on until the big beast met Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and Toto in the forest while they were journeying to the Emerald City to see the great and powerful Wizard. He tried to bully and frighten them off, just like everyone else he had encountered, he was almost successful but when Toto tried to defend his mistress Dorothy, the Lion tried to bite the small dog. But Dorothy gave the beast a big slap on the nose and when the beast began to cry he confessed the truth and told the traveling group about his cowardly ways. Dorothy invited him to come along with them and the Lion decided to befriend and accompany them all to ask the Wizard for some courage. After several adventures, such as escaping the flesh eating beast called Kalidahs, encountering a mother Stork, and the Queen of the Field Mice, who helped rescue them from a feild of deadly poppies, the group made it the gates of Emerald City. There they were made to wear green tinted spectacles by the Guardian of the Gates and are lead to Oz's palaces by the Soldier with the Green Whiskers. When the group spoke to Oz finally, they were ordered to defeat the Wicked Witch of the West in the Winkie Country in Oz if they wanted their wishes granted. When traveling to find her, the Wicked Witch had Dorothy and the Lion captured by her band of Winged Monkeys, and forced Dorothy to do housework for the yellow castle, all the while scheming to steal Dorothy's magical Silver Shoes. The Lion was locked up without food until he would submit to being a pack animal and drive the Witch in her chariot, so Dorothy sneaked him food at night. After successfully eliminating the Wicked Witch by water, the Wizard who come to find out was a humbug, gave the Lion a large bowl filled with green liquid (believed to be Gin), which he drank up, making him fearless and full of courage. The Cowardly Lion. (1939) After the Wizard left Oz in his hot air balloon to return to America, accidentally leaving Dorothy behind in the process, he left the Scarecrow the King of Oz to rule the Emerald City. But Dorothy ostill wanted to find a way back home to Kansas. So the Scarecrow decided they should all travel with Dorothy to seek out and find Glinda, the beautiful Good Witch of Oz's southern quadrant known as Qaudling Country. The party traveled south and encountered a group of Fighting Trees, a little enclave called China Country and the hill of the Hammer-Heads. While on these adventures, the travelers also past a dark forest which was home to hundreds of beasts. These animals were being terrorized by a evil spider-like monster the size of an elephant, with many sharp teeth and many big glassy eyes. The Cowardly Lion agreed to fight this monster, but found it asleep in its cave and snapped its thin neck. The grateful animals made him their king, and after fulfilling his duty to Dorothy, he returned to rule over them after her and Toto's departure. (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz) Sequel Oz Books After Princess Ozma ascended to the throne, the Cowardly Lion traveled back to the Emerald City with his friend the Hungry Tiger to meet their new ruler in the Royal Palace of Oz. When they learned of her plan to journey to the neighboring kingdom called Ev and rescue the Royal Family from the Nome King, they asked to join the party. The two beast were given the honor of pulling Ozma's chariot along the Magic Carpet created by the magical aid of Glinda the Good. In the land of Ev, the Cowardly Lion was reunited with his old friend Dorothy Gale, who was accompanied by Billina a talking hen, and Tik-Tok the mechanical copper man. The three joined the party of Ozma who freed Dorothy and her company from the imprisonment of the vain and spoiled Princess Langwidere. On the way to the Nome Kingdom the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger bravely carried most of the party under the deadly hammer of the iron giant. The mission ended successfuly and the Ozites eventually returned to the Land of Oz. (Ozma of Oz) The two beasts are Ozma's chief guardians, and they keep guard in her Royal Throne Room. However, because everyone loves Ozma, there has never been a disturbance and there is nothing for the guardians to do. ("The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger") Appearances *''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (First appearance) *''Ozma of Oz'' *''Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz'' *''The Road to Oz'' *''The Emerald City of Oz'' *''The Patchwork Girl of Oz'' *''Tik-Tok of Oz'' *''Little Wizard Stories of Oz'' :*''"The Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger"'' *''The Scarecrow of Oz'' *''Rinkitink in Oz'' *''The Lost Princess of Oz'' *''The Magic of Oz'' *''Glinda of Oz '' *''The Royal Book of Oz'' *''The Cowardly Lion of Oz'' *''Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz'' *''Pirates in Oz'' *''Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz'' *''The Scalawagons of Oz'' *''Merry Go Round in Oz'' Character Adaptations In the Magic Land stories of Alexander Volkov and his followers, the Cowardly Lion is re-named the Courageous Lion. March Laumer, an adaptor of Volkov, follows this in his own Oz novels; and in his short story "The Cowardly Lion Changes His Name," Laumer dubs the Lion "Rex the X." Volkov's books make several mentions of the Lion's wife and children. The Wicked Years Brrr was the name of the Cowardly Lion in Gregory Maguire's A Lion Among Men. Other Adaptations In the Oz Squad, years after his adventures in Oz, the Lion accompanied Dorothy back to America along with the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow. There, the four of them formed the Oz Squad, a team of quasi-superheroes who protect America from Ozian threats. In Emerald City Confidential, he became an evil businessman who, while maintaining a good reputation amongst the citizens of Oz, secretly was responsible for a number of crimes. In Family of Oz (2011), by James C. Wallace II, the Cowardly Lion holds court in the great northern forests of Gillikin Country and makes a "Leap of Faith" in the climactic battle against Cobbler the Dog (a mechanical dog made by the Wogglebug as a pet for Tik-Tok), who was possesed by the Evil remnants of the Wicked Witch of the East. He also has a gate leading into the northern part of Emerald City named for him called the Lion's Gate. Depictions on Stage and Screen The Wizard of Oz 1939 Actor Burt Lahr was a known Comedian and stared in many Hollywood films before Oz. as the Cowardly Lion in the 1939 film.]] Bert Lahr is justifiably famous for his portrayal of the iconic Lion in the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz. Lahr's other role was Aunt Em and Uncle Henry's farm worker, Zeke. He helps Hickory (Tin Man's alter ego) lower a bed into its place on a wagon at the farm while Hunk (Scarecrow's alter ego) repairs the wagon with them. He then moves the hogs into the pig pen and pours feed into their trough and later rescues Dorothy when she falls off the railing that encircles the pen. Zeke wears his hat throughout the entire film because he does not struggle to pry open the cellar when the tornado approaches the farm. Hunk (Scarecrow's alter ego) closes and locks the cellar with him when Dorothy arrives at the farmhouse. Zeke and Professor Marvel (The Wizard's alter ego) are the only men wearing hats when Dorothy awakens from being unconscious. The Wiz 1974/1978 In the musical version, the Lion is by Ted Ross. He is a senstive and poetic beast. Ted Ross won a Tony Award for the performance. In the movie version Ted Ross revived the role once more. Return to Oz In Disney's 1985 cult classic film Return to Oz, the Cowardly Lion is not a main character in this version. But he does have more than one cameo appearances during a few scenes throughout the movie. Specifically during the end. The Lion of Oz Based off of the Book written by Roger Baum, the Lion of Oz is a cartoon movie which tells the orgins of the Lion, how he came to Oz, and how he become known as a Cowardly beast. The Muppet's Wizard of Oz as the Cowardly Lion]] In the mad for TV Muppet film, Fozzie the Muppet portrayed the Cowardly Lion, who dreams of being a famous Comedian. Tin Man 2009 Set in present day, in the Syfy mini series, Lions have mutated into half human/animal creatures who are blessed with Psychic abilites since the first Lion in Oz got his Courage over one hundred years ago from a now long dead Wizard. ]] '''Raw' is a member of a telepathic race of genetic hybrids called Viewers, which are enslaved by Azkadellia. He joins D.G., Glitch, and Wyatt Cain in their quest to stop Azkadelia. He is sensitive and easily frightened, but also compassionate and uses his abilities to help. (Tin Man) Oz the Great and Powerful In Disney's 2013 prequel movie to the 1939 musical, in Oz the Great and Powerful the Cowardly Lion makes a brief cameo appearance in the forest. De Musical The Wiz The Cowardly Lion was portrayed by Jeroen Phaff. The Wicked Years In Gregory Maguire's Oz series book #3 (A Lion Amoung Men) shows the life and times of the Cowardly Lion. And shows all of the land of Oz through his point of view. Legends of Oz-Dorothy's Return 2014 In the CGI animated Oz movie, the Cowardly Lion is voiced by the actor James Belushi. Oz Gallery IMG_20141105_010629.jpg IMG_20141027_054933.jpg|The Cowardly Lion by W. W. Denslow 1900. IMG_20141027_054827.jpg|Cowardly Lion. IMG_20141023_064526.jpg|Cowardly Lion and Tik Tok in Return to Oz. IMG_20141021_215156.jpg|Cowardly Lion of Oz. IMG_20141017_160454.jpg 220px-ArhthurHillLion2.jpg 3332123094 f8d73ae329.jpg CAM00097-1.jpg Cowardly-lion-8x10.jpg Cowardly Lion.png Debutart arn0 14964.jpg IMG_20141017_192226.jpg IMG_20141017_184733.jpg IMG_20141017_171651.jpg IMG_20141017_172131.jpg IMG 20140411 054923.jpg IMG 20140427 071404.jpg IMG 20140509 182611.jpg IMG 20140512 154426.jpg Lion.jpg IMG 20140523 055406.jpg IMG 20140525 083509.jpg lion_pub.jpg lion50.jpg lion2.jpg|The Lion from The Wiz musical DJ's Lion.jpg Cats cowardly book.jpg IMG 20140627 013104.jpg IMG 20140629 210201.jpg IMG 20140705 090457.jpg IMG 20140706 011634.jpg IMG 20140710 122830.jpg IMG 20140710 122858.jpg IMG 20140712 140143.jpg IMG 20140712 140951.jpg IMG 20140712 141018.jpg IMG 20140718 124540.jpg IMG 20140729 080621.jpg Snapshot 4 (8-30-2014 1-28 PM).png|Fred Berry The Cowardly Lion King.png|The "Cowardly" Lion King IMG 20140710 122830.jpg IMG 20140902 231002.jpg IMG 20140925 092123.jpg Credits *''The Wizard of Oz'' (1903): Arthur Hill *The Fairylouge and Radio Plays (1908): Joseph Shrode *His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz (1914): Fred Woodward *Wizard of Oz (1925); Spencer Bell as Snowball (credited as G.Howe Black) *''The Wizard of Oz (1939): Bert Lahr *Journey Back to Oz (1974): Milton Berle (voice) *The Wiz'' (Broadway show, 1975): Ted Ross *''The Wiz'' (film, 1978): Ted Ross *''The Muppets' Wizard of Oz'' (2005): Fozzie Bear *''The Wonderful Wizard of Ha's'' (VeggieTales) (2007): Pa Grape as The Hungry Lion *''De musical The Wiz (2007): Jeroen Phaff as '''Laffe Leeuw' *''Tin Man'' (2007): Raoul Trujillo as Raw *''Dorothy and the Witches of Oz'' (2012): Barry Ratcliffe as Bryan Jennings *''Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014): Jim Belushi (voice) '' Merchandise Image:Barbie_Doll_Wizard-Od_Oz_Lion.jpg Image:51agg494q8L.jpg Image:(402)oz-lion.jpg Image:TinManLionScarecrow.jpg CIMG7257.jpg 44a678.jpg LionLoose.jpg 51PLM2BWQHXL.jpg OZ2.jpg IC00903.jpg|Costume External Links *IMDB *Fansite page Cowardly Lion Cowardly Lion Category:Wicked Characters Category:Creatures Category:Male Category:Rulers in Oz Category:Protagonists Category:Antagonists